Burial-casket.



A. R. LERRO.

BURIAL GASKET.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.18, 1909.

Patented July 12, 1910.

BURIAL-CASKET.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1910.

Application filed December 18, 1909. Serial No. 533,959.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANGELO RAFFAELE LERRO, a subject of the King of Italy, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Burial- C-askets, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to overcome certain objections to which an ordinary burial casket or coffin is subject both from the viewpoint of sentiment and that of sanitation. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which' .Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a burial casket constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the means employed for supporting the body.

Many persons object to the ordinary burial casket or coffin from reasons of sentiment, because of the unpleasant associations attending the thought of decay resulting from such a disposal of the dead, while others object, for sanitary reasons, to the pollution of the soil and watercourses by the products of putrefaction or decay of a human body interred in a'perishable casket. In carr ing out my invention, therefore, I provi e a casket which is ractically indestructible, is hermetically sea ed, provides for the disposal of the body in a natural posture, and is transparent in order to permit a full view of'the body during the time between death and ultimate interment, if the body is to be interred. Such casket, as shown. in the drawing, consists of a base land a bell 2, both of which are composed, by preference, of glass or other transparent material which is roof against decay, although, if desired, 0 y the bell member of the casket may be transparent. The bottom of the bell is hermetically sealed to the base 1, the latter being, by preference, provided with a rib 3.

extending around .the lower edge of the bell, on the inside of the same, in order to prevent relative movement of the bell and base which would tend'to break the seal, and the bell is shaped to receiveand ihclose a body seated in a natural posture upon a stool 5, which is immovably secured to the base 1,

either by fitting its legs into sockets 6 formed upon the said base or. in any other available manner.

In order to aid in retaining the body in a natural posture the stool is provided with head rests 7 and arm rests 9, as shown in Fig. 2. The arm rests project upward from the stool, one at each side of the same, and are provided at the top with yokes 10 for fitting under the arm-pits, these rests being composed of members, one telescoping into the other, and adjustable to different heights, set screws 11 serving to secure them in position when roperly adjusted. The head rests 7 are 'ree to turn and are also vertically adjustable in openings ,in a bar 12 which connects the lower members of the arm 'rests 9, other set screws 13 securing them in position when'adjusted.

Each head rest has at the upper end, a bent finger 14, said fingers engaging the jaws and serving to support the same, as well as to hold the head in its proper position. IVhen in use, both the head and arm rests are hidden by the garments with which the body is clothed, as shown in Fig. 1.

The base 1 is preferably provided with a recess ac to receive and prevent the spreading over the base of the liquid matter usually evacuated from a human body after death.

When the corpse is properly embalmed and disposed in a hermetically sealed casket such as that constituting the subject of my invention interment can, if desired, be delayed for a long period and by withdrawing the air from the casket and replacing itwith a preservative atmosphere, the proe- Y ess of decay ther eriod.

' I c aim '1. A burial casket comprising a base and a bell secured thereto, said base being provided with means for securing in position within the bell a stool upon which a corpse may be seated. v

.2. The combination with a burial casket comprising a base and a bell secured thereto, of a, stool held in position upon said base, and means on said stool for maintaining a seated corpse in upright position thereon.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANGELO RAFFAELE LERRO. Witnesses KATE'A. BEADLE, HAMILTON D. TURNER.

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